b'revolver. I remember once Garrett emptied his pistol at a jackrabbit scampering through the street and missed it every time and Billy knocked it over with one bullet from his six-shooter. Oh yes, Garrett and the Kid were as thick as two peas in a pod" (Burns, The Saga of Billy the Kid, pp. 196-197).Since this story is more about the mysterious Pat Garrett than the very well-known Billy the Kid I will summarize here in-depth the story of how the relationship of two goodif not closefriends and drinking buddies went south to the point where one of them finally was forced to kill the other.The future Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty in a New York City Irish slum on November 23, 1859 (Horan, James D., The Authentic Wild West: The Gunfighters, Crown Publishers, New York, 1976, p.10). He began to roam the West as a teen after his mother died from tuberculosis, and for the next several years he found work as a Cowboy as so many other young men in the Old West.Though he was as illiterate in real life as Hollywood portrayed him to be he was wise in his ways. He was kind and generous to friends but quick-tempered and ready to commit violence when he felt he - or his friends - were wronged. He was awkward yet attractive to the senoritas, and would gradually learn to be a fair dancer. He would also become extremelyTHE ALL NEW adept with a gun, and as quick as he was to smile when happy, he was just as quick to draw a gun when he was angered.Henry also used the pseudonym William H. Bonney. Billy Bonney murdered his first man atTRUMP TRAIN DEPOT17. A blacksmith named Windy Cahill in Arizona, at Grant City. Billy had been the victim of physical abuse rendered by the burly blacksmith Cahill. One day, the abuse went too far withAll Kinds of Trump MerchandiseCahill slapping Billy around the face and knocking him to the ground. Finding his gun the young Billy fired just once, mortally wounding the bully. Then he fled for the New Mexico border, drifting until he arrived in Lincoln County (Horan, The Authentic Wild West: The Gunfighters, pp. 16-18).Billy Bonney was still a fairly likable young teenager. However, he had just ridden from the frying pan into the fire, as the cattle kingdom of Lincoln County was swirling down into a vortex of tension, accusation, hate and finally murder.What might not be particularly known is the Kid originally found work at Jimmy Dolan\'s Cow Camp. Either due to a quarrel with William Morton, Jimmy Dolan\'s foreman, or just being restless, the Kid left the service of Dolan (Horan, The Authentic Wild West: The Gunfighters, p.17; Garrett, Pat F., The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, Skyhorse Publishing, New York, (reprint) 2011, pp. 42-43, pp. 47-49) and met the English expatriate rancher John Tunstall. Tunstall took to liking Billy, taught him how to read, treated him as a father would treat a son (remember Billy never really had a father).As noted by Burns: OPEN"Tunstall and Billy the Kid had been worlds apart in everything. Tunstall had a background of breeding and culture; the Kid\'s background wasTUESUN:the frontier. They differed as night from day in character, thoughts, and outlook on life. White for7am9pmTunstall was black for the Kid but strangely enough, a strong friendship had developed between them. Their friendship was their only common ground. Friendship was one of the few things the Kid held sacred; an injury to a friend was an injury to him, and he held by the ancient law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" (Burns, The Saga of Billythe Kid, p.51).Tunstall\'s murder committed by the adherents of those Billy had formerly, though briefly, worked for would turn a pretty typical young Cowboy into aJohn Tunstallhardened killer. As Billy the Kid tried to adjust and move into a home life that he never had before, the quarrel between the Tunstall and his partner McSween\'s faction, supported by the legendary John Chisum against the Dolan-Murphy faction, exploded into violence.On the morning of February 18, 1878, John Tunstall awoke to learn that a posse led by Brady\'s deputy, none other than the Kid\'s former boss William Morton had confiscated the horses and cattle of his partner McSween. They were now on their way to Tunstall\'s ranch to do the same. Tunstall chose to ride into Lincoln to sort out the situation in the courts. Billy remonstrated with him not to go, but Tunstall was adamant that horses and cattle were not worth a man\'s life. Tunstall rode on alone towards Lincoln when Morton\'s posse caught up with him and shot the rancher out of his saddle. They also murdered his horse in spite (Horan, The Authentic Wild West: The Gunfighters, p.22; Garrett, The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, pp. 45-46; Burns, The Saga of Billy the Kid, pp.47-48).Whether or not the Kid had witnessed the cold-blooded murder of his boss, benefactor,911 E. Wickenburg Hwyand friend is not relevant; what IS relevant was his reaction. He simply went ballistic, embarking on a vendetta ride to avenge the murder of Tunstall. In rapid succession revenge,Wickenburg, AZ 85390retaliation, more revenge, and more retaliation consumed the rest of that New Mexico spring and summer. Brewer, the Kid and their men, now known as the Regulators struck continued on page 46ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2020 45'